What's Your Problem?
by Adiji-Sensei
Summary: Tseng and Reno have an argument, which drives Reno back to the Slums. How will Rude cope with this and also...what will Tseng do next? RenoXRude eventually, but there is evil Tseng in this. A little OOC, I do apologise.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII. I only own Jenna, who is the OOC in this fic.

A/N: I got this idea when I woke up this morning. I really don't know where it came from, it just hit me lol. This will be another RenoXRude, but it will take a while to get to the lemony stuff. This will probably be a long fic like Stupid Mistakes, but I still have a block with that one. This is set within the game, as it involves the Sector 6 plate. A bit of OOCness, which I apologise for. Please don't flame as I am still out of marshmallows XD

What's Your Problem?!

"Reno, please, think this through!" Rude cried as he watched his partner clear out his desk. The redhead looked up, anger still in his eyes.

"Rude, it is obvious that Tseng doesn't want me here! Can't you see that?!" Reno replied harshly, and Rude was trying furiously to think of something to make his partner stay. Tseng and Reno had got into a fight earlier, and harsh words were exchanged from both sides, but Rude felt that Tseng's last comment was too harsh.

"Reno, how will I be able to see you if you are in the slums? You know us Turks don't get a lot of time off!" Rude replied, running out of ideas to keep Reno in Shinra HQ.

"Rude, I'm not putting up with Tseng's attitude. Face it, he's hated me ever since I got here!" the redhead countered, thoughts drifting back to his argument with Tseng.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Reno, I have had just about enough of you! The only reason I keep you around is because Rufus won't allow me to fire you! I really can't think why." Tseng shouted, but surprisingly enough, Reno hadn't actually done anything wrong this time. OK, maybe he chose a pretty stupid time to repair his helicopter but there was nothing else for the Turk to do!_

"_Well, Tseng, what would happen if Rufus wanted to go out to Junon or whatever, and I had to take him? How would you explain to Midgar that Rufus Shinra had died because of a faulty fucking chopper?!" Reno countered, anger threatening to boil over._

"_I don't need you here anymore Reno, I don't understand what Rude sees in you. All I see is a slum rat,so why not go back to the slums where you belong?! We should never of hired you!" Tseng shouted, but was slightly shocked when Reno went quiet._

"_Fine then Tseng, I will. I quit." he said softly and walked out of the office._

_END FLASHBACK_

Rude sighed sadly as he watched Reno zip up his rucksack and sling it on his shoulder.

"Reno, please, you know I don't like begging, please stay, at least move in with me and stay above the plate!" the bald Turk begged, but his plea was shot down when Reno just shook his head.

"Tseng's right, I am a slum rat. Always have been, always will be." the redhead said sadly and began to walk out of the door, but was stopped in his tracks by Rude's hand on his elbow.

"Reno...which sector are you going to? So I know where to find you..." Rude whispered softly, and felt a glimmer of hope when Reno turned to face him.

"I'll go to Sector 4 for a while." he said, placed a soft kiss on Rude's lips, and when the bald man released his elbow, walked out of the door.

'For a while? Reno...don't make me go all over Midgar looking for you...'

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tseng was still calming down from the argument he had with Reno earlier that day, but nothing was helping. Trying to get on with some paperwork, he was shocked out of his thoughts by his phone ringing.

"This is Tseng, how can I help?" he asked, and was shocked to find out Rufus was on the other end.

"Hello Tseng, please send Reno up, I need to go to Junon."

'Oh...bugger...'

A/N: Sorry if this is a bit short, but I hope to make the next chapter a bit longer. Please read and review so I know if you liked it and thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still don't own FFVII, only own Jenna who makes an appearance later.

A/N: Thanks to my silent readers for reading, but please can I have some reviews so that I know if you guys are enjoying this or not?

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Tseng was sitting in Rufus' office, looking rather uncomfortable. While having the fight with Reno, he hadn't actually stopped to think about what the consequences might be. How was he supposed to break the news to the president that Reno had quit and gone back to the slums? The Wutain watched uncomfortably as rhe president sat down.

"Tseng, care to explain why Reno is not here?" he asked calmly, and not the good kind of calm either, more of a 'make one move and I'll shoot your head off' kind of calm.

"Well, you see, Reno and I, we...had a little falling out..." Tseng began, and Rufus was beginning to look impatient. With a sigh, the president placed his hands on the desk.

"What happened, Tseng?" he asked, still keeping calm.

"He quit and went back to the slums...so yeah, you probably won't be going to Junon today..." Tseng said quietly, he was expecting to get fired, or at least shot with Rufus's shotgun. The president just sighed, and placed his hands on his lap.

"You are going to send Elena or Rude down there, and you are going to get him back. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Tseng said quietly.

_I don't want him back, he's fucking annoying, why does Rufus want to keep him around?! _Tseng thought angrily as he marched back to his office, thinking who he should send into the slums, but the Wutain stopped short when he realised something.

"THERE'S EIGHT FUCKING SECTORS!" he shouted without realising, and looked quite embarrassed when everyone on the floor turned to look at him.

"Thinking out loud...don't mind me..." he said quickly and hurried into his office.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A girl of five was wandering around the Sector 4 slums. She had got seperated from her parents and was very scared, there was nobody around who could help her, and she was worried that she would run into one of the gangs that roamed the streets. It was beginning to get dark, and she was only in a tshirt and a pair of badly ripped jeans. She shivered in the cold, and went into a secluded alleyway to try and take shelter. She hoped she found her parents soon, but they could be in another sector for all she knew. With a sigh, she rested her head on the wall and tried to get to sleep, it might be easier to search in the morning.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reno wandered through the slums, the Turk uniform long discarded and burnt. He was now wearing a black tshirt and ripped jeans, along with a pair of sneakers that looked like they had seen better days. The former Turk was looking for a place to spend the night, he had never really explored Sector 4 before so it was all very new to him. The redhead hoped that Rude didn't come after him, he just wanted to be left alone, and would move to Sector 6 as soon as possible.

_At least I know my way around there. _he thought as he turned down another alley. Now, not a lot surprised Reno, but finding a five year old girl huddled in the alley was one thing that surprised the redhead. Sitting down on the opposite side, he looked over at her.

"Hey, what you doin' down here on ya' own? Heck, sometimes it ain't even safe for adults, let alone kids, to be wanderin' alone." Reno asked, not wanting to frighten the kid too much. The redhead had no problems killing adults, but when it came to kids, he had to admit that he had as soft spot.

Jenna looked up with wide eyes, what was this man going to do to her? She didn't even want to think about it, but knew that she should say something in return.

"I was with my parents...but we got seperated in a crowd, I have been looking for them all afternoon." she said softly. Reno had to sympathise with her, he had lost his parents at a young age too, so he understood that it was difficult.

"Man,that's rough. I lost my parents when I was young too, then I ended up on top of the plate. I came back down here, I don't belong up there, my former boss was right. You looking for a place to stay? I am as well." he told her, and was surprised to see the girl move over to him a little.

"Please...could I come with you..." she asked softly, still quite frightened. Reno was just about to reply when he heard a shout.

"Reno...where are you?!"

The redhead's eyes widened, and looked down at the girl. He was about to tell her to move, but the owner of the voice had already turned the corner.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Rude was so glad that he had found Reno, and was just about to run over to the redhead when the man in question took a step back.

"Reno, come on back with me...you don't need to be down here again." Rude told him, but Reno just shook his head and stepped back.

"Not now Rude, I'm going to Sector 6 in a month, we will talk then, ok?" he said, and ran down the alley, Jenna in tow. Rude sighed helplessly and walked out the way he had come, seemed like he had to wait.

--------------------------------------------------------------

When they finally stopped running, Jenna looked up at Reno with fear in her eyes.

"That was a Turk! Why was he looking for you?" she asked, fear in her voice. Reno sighed and knew that he would have to tell her, especially if he wanted her to trust.

"I used to be a Turk, the name's Reno." he said, and kept walking down the alley. Jenna didn't seem to mind, and followed.

"I'm Jenna...why is that Turk after you?" she asked.

"Long story." was the only reply she got as they continued to look for some decent shelter.

A/N: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I still don't own FFVII, however, I do own Jenna.

A/N: Thank you very much to my reviewers and silent readers! Now I know that you guys are enjoying the story, I have the motivation to write the next chapter! I'm not doing one of those 'send 5 reviews for next chapter' things, as long as I know that people are enjoying it, no matter how many review, I am happy to keep writing!

Even though Rude had tried his best to stealthily make his way down to Sector 4 to see Reno, Tseng still found out. Little did the bald Turk know, Tseng had been following him on his own way home after work. Tseng was angry, Tseng was fucking furious.

_Even when he isn't in Shinra he still causes trouble. _The Wutain thought as he stormed to his office. Rufus was breathing down his back because he wanted Reno back in the Turks. Despite being an annoying little shit at time, he was fun to have around and was a damn good Turk. Tseng sat down and tried to relax, he thought everything would be great without the redhead, but things just kept going from bad to worse. Sitting down at his desk, the Wutain tried to relax himself before getting on with his work.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Rude slumped down in his desk chair before resting his head on the surface, he had no idea that the fight with Tseng had been THAT bad. The bald man didn't notice when Elena knocked softly and went to sit at Reno's old desk. She sighed, she had never seen Rude like this before, heck, she didn't think he was capable of feeling like this, always seeming so calm and collected, hardly showing any emotion at all.

"No luck with Reno?" she asked softly, and watched as Rude raised his head.

"No, apparently he is going to Sector 6 in a month, though he told me to speak to him there. Damn, Elena, I didn't think the fight was that bad. What the hell made Reno go and leave?" he asked, eyes begging the blonde for an answer.

"Well, from what I have heard, Tseng said that Reno was nothing but a slum rat, and that was when Reno took off. That's all I have heard." the blonde Turk told him with a sad sigh. Reno got on her nerves at times, but she still liked him as a friend. She watched as Rude slammed his head back on his desk. He couldn't belive what his boss had done. They all knew that Reno grew up in the slums, but he was still a damn fine Turk.

"It took me...fucking ages...to convince Reno he wasn't a slum rat. Anyway, I will go to Sector 6 in a month, as he instructed, and get the full story then."

"Want me to come with you?"

"No, but thanks anyway." he said. Elena just nodded and walked out of the office, shutting the door quietly.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Jenna stretched as she woke up the next morning, an alley wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep in but it gave them shelter. She heard her stomach rumble and sighed, having no idea how she was going to get food. She looked over at Reno, who was still asleep, and realised that she would just have to wait until he woke up. She didn't have to wait long, and looked over at Reno who sat up, rested back, thought the wall was further away, and proceeded to whack his head on it.

"OW! Godamnit, who put that wall there?!"

"Umm...I think it was the person who built it..." the girl answered, and wondered why Reno was sending her a rather nasty glare.

"Well done, have a cookie." he said before standing up and looking through a window. He saw a loaf of bread and some cookies. Ok, so it looked like Jenna WAS going to get a cookie after all. Pleased that the window was open, Reno checked to make sure that nobody was around, before reaching in quickly and grabbing the food.

"OK Jenna, now we run." he said as he began to sprint out of the alley.

---1 month later---

Reno noticed that it had been a month, and he was getting sick of Sector 4. He looked down at Jenna, who was walking by his side silently.

"We're going to Sector 6, I have to meet that bald guy there." he said, and Jenna looked up, very confused.

"Why?" she asked.

"Well, he is my buddy, and I think he kinda wants to know what's going on." the redhead said and was pleased when they finally entered Sector 6. He was surprised to see Rude immediately, but knew that he shouldn't be, as Rude was never late for anything.

------------------------------------------------------------

Rude was doing a good job of looking calm, but inside his stomach was knotting. He looked over at his former partner, surprised at how different he looked. He looked even more skinny than he did when he was in the Turks, and that had given Rude reason to worry at the time.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, Reno?" he asked taking in the redhead's appearance.

"Tseng has crossed the line, he is merely reminding me about where I belong. I was never supposed to be a Turk, I was supposed to stay in the slums and rot with the rest of the people down here." Reno snarled, in truth, he didn't want to be there, he wanted Rude to leave him alone. Rude took a step forward, which caused Jenna to hide behind the redhead.

"Reno, listen to me. You're more than this! Elena and I miss you, heck, pretty much all of Shinra miss you. It's been too damn quiet!" Rude shouted, fighting to maintain control of his composure. He missed his friend, and what hurt the most was that Reno knew how deep the bald Turk's feelings went, and responded to them. Silence fell between the pair and Jenna was too afraid to say anything.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Tseng had just finished his paperwork, when he decided to go and see what Rude and Elena was doing. Knocking on Rude's door and walking in, he was surprised to find that the Turk wasn't there, the computer wasn't on, and Rude's belongings weren't there. Feeling the anger bubbling in his chest, he stormed out of the office and into Elena's room, where the blonde looked up in surprise.

"What's wrong?" she asked, playing dumb.

"Where is Rude?!" Tseng shouted, and watched as Elena shrank back a little, having never seen her boss like this before.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him since this morning." she lied. Now a lie like that would fool anyone...except the Turk boss.

"You are going to tell me where Rude is, and you are going to tell me NOW!" he shouted and slammed a hand on the blonde's desk.

"S-sector 6, he's gone to find Reno." she said, and let out a sigh of relief when Tseng left the office. Staring out of the window, the guilt immdiately hit her.

_Sorry Rude..._

---------------------------------------------------------

It was a long time before Reno finally broke the silence, the silence that held them for over ten minutes.

"You know I don't belong up there, the same as you don't belong down here. I told you the story, now go before Tseng catches you." the redhead said softly, looking over at the bald man.

"Too late."

Rude spun around and was immediately looking down at his boss. Trying to keep calm and cool, he stood in silence.

"We are going back to Shinra, Rude. This little rat needs to get back to his life of stealing." the Wutain said sharply and began to walk away. Reno scowled as he watched Rude follow, before turning away. Tseng stopped for a moment, almost making Rude fall over in surprise, and looked back at Reno.

"Don't you even think of contacting Rude or Elena, or I will see to it that you are killed." he said and walked back over to his car. All Rude could do was follow helplessly and think about what he was going to do.

_I'm going to need Elena's help, I think we need to speak to Rufus..._

---------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up, but I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and I will be starting chapter 4 soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own FFVII, but I do own Jenna. If you want to use her in a fic though, I do not mind, but please ask my permission first.

A/N: Thanks for all my reviewers and I apologise for the late updates. I have almost finished my most stressful course at college, so when that is over in in a few days, I will hopefully update more regularly. Please review so I know if you liked it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reno and Jenna were wandering around Sector 6 in silence. The young girl was too scared and worried to say anything and Reno just didn't want to talk. He didn't always see eye to eye with the Turk boss, but the redhead didn't understand what went so wrong. With a sigh, he stretched, but winced when he brought his hand back down and found out how easily he could now feel his ribs.

_Maybe coming back down here really wasn't such a good idea...NO! What the fuck am I thinking?! I don't belong up there, I never did, I was always meant to live down here, never to have a life of luxury above the plate. _he thought angrily, but just kept walking. Jenna looked up at the man who was protecting her, she had no idea about Reno's past, but he was helping her and she hated to see the redhead sad.

_I wish there was something I could do. I may not know a lot about you, Reno, but I want to try and help you. _she thought, but was shaken back to reality when she heard the sound of screams coming from ahead. The young girl tried to move forward to see what was happening, but was stopped by Reno's hand, preventing her from moving any closer to the disturbance.

"Stay back here, it doesn't sound too safe up there. Go and hide behind the dumpster." he told her and pointed to where it was. Without argument, Jenna ran and hid as fast as she could, watching as Reno got out his EMR and began walking in the direction of the screams. That was one thing that the redhead could not let go of, it was his favourite weapon, and couldn't bear to destroy it along with the rest of his memories from Shinra.

--------------------------------------------------------------

A man and a woman, completely defenceless, were being beaten mercilessly by a gang of youths. These guys had done nothing to the gang, the hooligans just needed more victims to get rid of their boredom. The area had been completely vacated, civilians not wanting to go near the commotion in case they got beaten up too. Blood was pouring from the bodies of the victims, and it was obvious that they were not going to last much longer. Needless to say, the gang was quite surprised when Reno annoucned his presence.

"Leave now and nobody gets hurt."

-------------------------------------------------------------

Reno stood a safe distance away from the gang of thugs, EMR tapping against his shoulder. The thugs watched him, stupid scowls on their faces, and watched as their leader walked over and tried to stare him down.

"Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you interrupt the Stalkers of the Night." he snarled, and Reno could tell that he was drunk, the foul breath of the thug gave it away. The bloodshot eyes of the taller man indicated that he had probably been doing a fair few drugs as well.

"I know it's kind of like 'every man for themselves' down here, but I can't stand back and let you attack a harmless couple." Reno said, not letting the thug's appearance threaten him. Before joining the Turks, the redhead had got into many fights, quite a few in a week, which was why he was such a skilled fighter.

"And just what are you going to do about it, little guy?"

"I'm going to kick your ass, and boy is it going to hurt." Reno told him confidently, and sprang forward in an attempt to strike the man with his weapon.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenna watched from behind the dumpster as shouts and screams echoed around the street. The area was now completely deserted, she had a feeling that nobody would be going there for a while. She wanted to move and help the injured people, but she knew that Reno would be angry with her for putting herself in danger. At first, she was a little skeptical that Reno used to be a Turk, but she didn't say anything. Seeing the way that her new friend was fighting, and the weapon that he was carrying, that backed up his story and she believed him. She didn't fail to notice that only one person, presumably the leader, was fighting with Reno, but she supposed that it was a good thing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reno was surprised that a man that was as drunk and high as this one could fight so well, they were pretty evenly matched. Gathering himself after a nasty strike to the ribs, the redhead lunged forward again and succeeded in striking the chest of the leader. The man began howling as the electricity went through him, and aimed a punch to the side of Reno's head. Deciding that this was no time for games, and quickly running out of energy, the former Turk knew that this had to end quickly. Only punches and kicks had been launched, but now was the time for it to end, so taking out a hidden knife, which had been carefully concealed on a belt he had found a few days ago, Reno waited for the thug to lunge again.

The large man was growing imaptient and wanted the redheaded annoyance out of his way. The fight had gone on for longer than he wanted, but was pleased that none of his members was helping out. They knew that they would be in trouble if they interfered, so they always stayed out of the way. Wanting to get to a bar, as his drunken state was beginning to wear off, he wasted no time in throwing himself at his new victim, unfortunately, he didn't expect to get a large knife to the chest.

"You...little...bastard..." he gasped out as he fell to the ground and was left to die.

Reno smirked and looked at all of the other gang members, he didn't know what they were planning to do, but he was knackered and sore and just wanted them to piss off.

"OK, who's next?" he asked, and was pleased to see them run off screaming. Looking back at the dumpster and seeing that Jenna was alright, he walked over to the victims.

--------------------------------------------------------

Jenna ran over to Reno when she knew that it was safe. She was pleased that the gang had left, but she hoped that the couple were ok. Walking over to them, she jumped back and released a small scream. Reno checked for a pulse, but found nothing, they must have died during the fight. When Jenna screamed, he looked over at her.

"I know how you feel, seeing a dead body isn't the nicest thing in the world." he said, and rubbed her shoulder softly, trying to calm her.

"I know these people...they're my parents!"

------------------------------------------------------

Elena made sure that her computer was turned off and everything was tidy before walking out of her office and locking it. She had done a bit of overtime, and was looking forward to getting home. There had been a lot more paperwork since Reno had left. Walking past Rude's office, she noticed that everything was still on and the bald Turk was working.

"Rude, exhausting yourself won't bring Reno back." she said softly and walked over to the bald man. With a sigh Rude placed another bit of completed work onto the pile that needed to go to Tseng in the morning.

"I know, but it's just so quiet without him around. I miss the days when I got back home, he'd had too much sugar, and liked to try and beat me over the head with a frying pan." he said, looking up at Elena.

The blonde wanted to do something, but she wasn't sure what she could do. She had not heard from Reno, but after hearing from Rude what Tseng had said to her, she knew why.

"I'll go down to Sector 6, see if I can find him. I want to know what the little shit's been up to." she said, trying to get a laugh out of Rude. A small smile was all that she could get from the man.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking at his watch, Reno knew that it was getting late and that meant they had to find somewhere to sleep. Jenna was following in silence, and winced everytime Reno moved. He was limping because of how bad his legs were hurting, and breathing was quite painful as well. She sighed as they continued to walk, she had no idea where they were going, and hoped that her friend knew because he was in no condition to fight if they got threatened. She stopped when she saw a blonde woman in a suit up ahead.

"Reno, it's another Turk..." she said softly, and the redhead was surprised when his eyes showed him that Elena had down to the slums.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

When the blonde knew that Reno had seen her, she ran up and took in his disheveled appearance.

"Reno, what the hell has happened to you?" she said, taking in the dark bruises that had started to form on the former Turk's arms.

"Got into a little fight, that's all. What are you doing down here, Laney? Tseng will go nuts if he finds you down here." The blonde held up her hand to silence him, she was not happy, not happy at all.

"You...are coming to my place...with me...NOW! You are in no condition to be wandering around the slums!" she shouted, and Jenna hid behind Reno, this lady was rather scary.

"Laney, I am not going back up there. I have told Rude, and I am telling you now, I am fine. I know what it's like, I grew up here, remember?" he said, and watched as Elena's eyes landed on Jenna.

"Who is this, Reno?" she asked softly.

"This is Jenna. I found her the night I came down here, the reason I am so beat up is because we ran into a gang, and they killed her parents." he told the blonde, who immediately held out her hand to the girl.

"Hey Jenna, I'm Elena. You reckon you and Reno should come stay with me tonight?" she asked softly, and Jenna looked up at Reno.

"Please, Reno. I'm scared." she said, tears glistening in her eyes. Reno couldn't resist, he didn't want to make Jenna cry. After all, she had just seen her parents get beaten to death.

"OK, but only tonight." he said, and was completely and utterly shocked when Elena hugged him. Never, in his entire lifetime, did he think that Elena would EVER do that.

------------------------------------------------------

When Rude arrived back at his apartment, he thought that he should call Elena to make sure she had got home safe. He hated going to the slums, it reeked of death to him, and danger was around every corner. Putting the kettle on and then picking up the phone, he dialled her number and waited. It wasn't long before she answered.

_Hello?_

"Hey, it's Rude. I wanted to make sure you got back from the slums ok."

_I'm fine, and do you want to come over? I have a little surprise for you, and I think you may like it._

Rude was intrigued, he wondered what she was hiding.

"What is it?"

_It has red hair, and used to like beating you over the head with frying pans when it was on a sugar high._

"I'll be over soon." Turning the kettle off, Rude grabbed his jacket and ran straight to his car, he wanted to get to Elena's before Reno ran off again. The bald Turk only hoped that the conversation would go ok.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Way longer chapter than I have done before. This would have beeb split into two chapters but I haven't updated for a while, so I kept it as one. I hope to update soon, but my art exam is still going on, though I am doing my best with the fics. I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but please bear with me as I have a lot on my plate at the moment. Please read and review so I know if you liked it.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII, I only own Jenna.

A/N: Thanks again for the reviews! They help inspire me to carry on with the fics. I have got a little of my muse back, but the main reason for Stupid Mistakes going so slow is that I am wondering how to end it. I don't know whether it should be a happy or sad ending. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter, please review!

Chapter 5: A Conversation with Rufus and one Hell of a Boom

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rude drove through Midgar faster than he had ever driven before, he couldn't believe that Elena had got Reno into her apartment. Maybe he would be able to convince the redhead to stay, but more importantly, what condition was he in? The bald man had to shake all the thoughts out of his head as he narrowly missed colliding with a truck.

_That was close, concentrate on driving, Reno isn't going anywhere! _he tried convincing himself as he continued to speed towards Elena's apartment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reno was not entirely comfortable with staying at Elena's, to be honest, he was really only doing it for Jenna. The blonde Turk was currently checking over the redhead's wounds, when he had got into that fight. Deep down, Reno was blaming himself for the death of Jenna's parents, if he had got rid of the thugs faster then they might have had a chance at survival, but he took too long in the fight. Elena could tell that something was bugging him, and was just about to say something when she heard a large knock on the door.

"Rude's here, he wanted to see you." she told Reno, who widened his eyes in horror.

"I can't stay here...I feel bad enough for leaving as it is...I'm going back." he said and stood up, but was pushed back down softly by Elena.

"Please, he has rushed over to see you. You told Jenna that you would stay the night, if anything, stay for her. She seems to have grown attached to you." the blonde said with a warm smile and went to open the door.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rude was shaking in anticipation, he had no idea what waited for him behind the door. The suspense grew when Elena opened the door and stepped back to let him in. The bald man took one look at Reno and almost ran out of the room from shock. The redhead looked worse than the last time Rude had seen him. Walking over slowly, he sat down next to his partner.

"What happened to you? Tseng didn't find you, did he?" he asked, and when the redhead looked at him, the Turk couldn't help but notice that the hyper spark was gone from his lover's eyes.

"I got into a bit of a fight down in Sector 6. Jenna's parents were being attacked by a gang, by the time I finished 'em off, the poor girl's parents were dead." Reno said, avoiding Rude's gaze. Even though the bald man had his shades on, Reno could still feel the gaze through them, he got used to it over the years. The brusies were now a furious purple, but the cuts were starting to heal up, they had stopped bleeding a few hours ago. Still, the bruises on the pale skin looked worse than they really were, and this made Rude worry even more.

"Please, come and live with me. You can bring Jenna, but I just can't stand to see you like this. If Tseng saw you now then I am sure he would realise what he has done and regret it! Come on, you can't live like this, the slums have been different for so long, you can't adapt again!" he said, but a quick prompt from Elena told the bald man to keep his voice down because Jenna was resting.

"Rude, I don't belong up here. I told you that. Tseng will not be happy to see me, and in a way, I should be grateful to him, as he has told me what I really am, and all I was doing was living a lie. I was never meant to be up here, I should stay down there. Believe me, Shinra is probably better off without me." he said, still not looking Rude in the face. The two Turks could not believe what they were hearing, what happened to the confident Turk? The one who never let anything get him down? Elena walked into the kitchen and Rude just took a deep breath.

"Go and rest Reno, itsounds like you need it after the fight today. Keep in touch though, don't give Tseng the satisfaction of making you live in fear." he said, and pulled the redhead into a hug. When he released his Reno, the bald man watched the redhead walk of to the other spare bedroom.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tseng was just locking his office u pfor the night when he ran into Rufus. He fumbled a bit while putting the keys into hsi pocket, before maintaining his calm composure and looking at his boss.

"There something I can help you with, sir?" he asked, and wasn't surprised to see Rufus nod.

"Where is Reno?" was the blunt question the president asked. the blonde did not look happy, it had been a month and a half since Reno had left the company, and the president was a vrey unhappy bunny indeed.

"Rude and Elena haven't had any luck, he is refusing to come back."

"Then YOU can go and get him back," was all Rufus said as he walked to the elevator.

_That's it, I didn't want to have to do this...but it seems I have to...Reno, you've pushed me too far..._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now that Elena was sure Reno was asleep, it was time for her and her colleague to have a little chat. Rude watched her sit down, and then got ready to tell her his plan.

"We need to tell Rufus exactly what happened, Tseng can not get away with this." he said, and was pleased to see that Elena agreed.

"As a note though, don't you think that talking to Rufus about this would escalate the situation. I am just worried about Reno, didn't you say that he had threatened to send someone after him if he contacted us?" she asked, and Rude pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Why did Tseng have to be such a bastard, why, oh why?

"Something has got to be done, Elena. That kid, Jenna, she can't be any older than five! She can't live down there, and if Reno is having trouble surviving, then she is in a hell of a lot of danger. Tomorrow, we talk to Rufus, ok?" he said, and Elena didn't bother to put up a fight. Rude was a man on a mission and there was nothing she could do about it. The blonde hoped that everything would be ok, but there was this annoying feeling of dread in her stomach that wouldn't go away.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day was so nice in Midgar, well, as nice as it got really, when Rufus walked into his office, ready for a new day. It was another day where he hoped that Reno would be back, running around Shinra, screaming like a muppet, but the president was beginning to doubt the redhead would return. With a sigh, he sat down on his desk, but was distracted by a note from his secretary.

_Elena and Rude have booked an emergancy meeting with you, they should be in your office at about 9am. I believe the topic is about Reno, they said the matter was urgent._

Rufus was pleased he had such a good secretary, unlike the last one, who was too busy making herself look pretty and never got any work done. The blonde looked up at the clock and noticed that it was almost 9, so soon the meeting would get underway. Rufus decided to just relax until the two Turks arrived at his office.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elena and Rude walked down the corridor in solemn silence, neither of them not sure of what to say. They wanted to get this meeting over and done with, but in a way, they were worried. Tseng had not been in the office all day, and the pair had to wonder what their boss was doing. Both of them feared the worst, so they wanted this meeting out of the way so that actions could be taken. Elena knocked on the president's door, and when she was told to enter, she allowed Rude to follow her and they both took seats in front of the president. Wasting no time, Elena already had the first sentence formed in her head.

"Sir, I don't know if you know, but Tseng is the reason why Reno won't return." she said, getting straight to the ooint. Rufus hated time wasters, and she had learnt this, and always made sure she was quick and to the point.

"Why do you believe this?" the president asked, obviously oblivious to everything that had happened the day Reno quit.

"Tseng drove Reno back to the slums, calling him a slum rat may seem like a petty insult, but to somebody like Reno, it really hits home." Elena replied, it seems that she was going to be doing most of the talking, Rude was only there as a witness and to back up her points. She watched as Rufus closed his eyes, and the atmosphere immediately dropped. Once, Elena had admired Tseng, but right now, she felt nothing but hatred. He had driven one of her friends away, and she was now in danger of losing him. This felt like a nightmare to her, but she knew that it was worse for Rude. He was one of the first Shinra employees to stick by the redhead and help him get used to life above the plate.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

Tseng was wandering through the slums, being careful to remain out of site. Seeing as he was a Turk, a lot of the slum residents stayed out of his way, especially as the Turks only usually went down to the slums to pick people off. The Wutain man found his target, and slowly began to climb the ladder.

_This will get rid of Reno, once and for all! _he thought happily as he climbed the long pillar. Setting the bomb, he climbed back down and got ready to move into Sector 5, he did not want to be in Sector 6 when that bomb was ready to go off. From the gate to Sector 5, he detonated the bomb before running through the gate to safety.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reno and Jenna were relaxing back in Sector 6 when they heard a loud rumbling. Dust started to fall down below, and all actions had ceased in the Sector. Jenna looked over at her friend, fear in her eyes.

"What's that?"

"I don't know...but I think we need to get out of here!" Reno shouted. Grabbing Jenna, he lifted her onto his back and began running for Sector 7. That rumbling sounded familiar, and it brought back bad memories.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things were silent in Rufus' office, he was trying to think of something to say but had come up with nothing. All eyes widened when the trio heard a rumbling. Elena walked over to investigate, and looked on in horror as the Sector 6 plate began to sink.

"Sir, somebody's triggered the Plate Release System! The Sector 6 slums are about to be crushed!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Another chapter for you guys, I hope you enjoy it. These chappies are getting longer and longer lol. Please review so I know if you enjoyed it!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Still don't own FFVII

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers and silent readers! I appreciate your support greatly, as when I first came on this site and posted my first story, I had very little confidence but I am pleased to know that people out there enjoy my fics. I've decided to start alternating my updates. When I have posted a chappie of this, I will set to work and post a chappie of Stupid Mistakes, and then once that is up, another chappie of this and continue...though SM is very close to completion now.

Chapter 6: Deep, deep trouble.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not a lot shocked Rufus Shinra, but the fact that Sector 6 had just been completely destroyed had him sitting there with his mouth wide open, doing a very good impression of a goldfish every now and again. Rude didn't want to say anything, and neither did Elena, for fear that their bodies would become aquainted with bullets from Rufus' shotgun. Eventually, Elena sat down, and Rufus snapped out of his shocked stupor.

"I want you two to go down to Sector 6...and see if there are any survivors nearby." he said, and picked up the phone. The young president had a bone to pick with Tseng, as he wanted to know what the hell happened.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reno and Jenna were choking on the dust that was nowhere near settling near the ruins of Sector 6. This brought back memories of Sector 7, which the former Turk was trying to push out of his mind. Sector 7 could now be accessed again, but a lot of clearing was still going on. He was pleased about that, if Sector 7 was still closed then him and the girl would have been done for.

"Whoa, you ok Jenna?" he asked, and began to check her for bruises or any other injuries. Jenna looked down at her clothes, they were now even more tattered than before. She looked up at Reno, dust and ask covering his features, from where the plate began to fall.

"Where shall we go?" she asked softly, feeling afraid as she looked around the half ruined Sector 7. She had a bad feeling about that place, she felt like she was being watched. It made her uneasy, seeing as she could not defend herself. The young one wondered how her friend's injuries from the last fight were, and whether they would make it through the ruins ok.

"We are going to go to Shinra HQ, and find out what the hell Rufus thought he was doing!" Reno said, and taking Jenna's hand, and led her in the direction they needed to go.

_Why the hell would Rufus want to drop the plate? He is no way like his old man, so what would make him want to do something as cruel as that?! The people in the slums haven't pissed him off, so what are his reasons? _Reno thought as he began to walk even faster.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rude and Elena arrived at one of the gates to Sector 6. They had driven to Sector 5, and went to the next Sector on foot. Both of them hoped the same thing, that Rude and Jenna weren't in there. The gateway to Sector 6 was completely blocked off by rubble, allowing no access whatsoever. The blonde looked over at her blonde colleague.

"There is no way we can get in there, we'll have to get some construction crews down to try and get rid of some of this rubble."

"We have to get in there."

"Rude, I'm sure he got out OK. It'll take more than this to kill Reno." she said, trying to comfort the big man. To be honest, she was also worried, so she took out her phone and called Tseng's office. Rude continued to stare at the rubble, some of it glowing orange.

_Small fires must have started..._ he thought, but was brought back to reality when Elena clicked her phone shut.

"Strange, he's not in his office. We have to wait." she said, and sat down, trying to keep herself calm, as well as Rude.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tseng had been summoned to Rufus' office, but the Wutain was struggling to come up with a story. Before dropping the plate, the Turk leader didn't actually stop to think about what he was going to tell the president.

_It's ok, he won't blame me, he'll just want to know what happened..._

Before he knew it, Tseng had arrived at Rufus' office and was now seated comfortably opposite the president himself.

"You wanted to see me, sir."

"Yes, I did. Care to explain to me WHY Sector 6 is now in ruins?"

"I don't know what happened, I gave no orders for the plate to be released." the Wutain said, keeping a calm composure, but inside, his stomach was knotting. If he got out of this alive he would be the luckiest guy on the Planet. Rufus raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair.

"Seems to be strange that Reno happened to be in Sector 6, last time I spoke to Rude, which was earlier. According to him and Elena...you and Reno didn't see eye to eye..." he said smoothly, almost too smoothly, as if he had this all planned out from the beginning.

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit... _Tseng thought and was now fighting to remain cool and composed. The mask was beginning to slide off, and this didn't go un-noticed by the president.

"With all due respect, sir, what are you trying to say?" Tseng asked, almost dreading the answer.

"I am saying, Tseng, that I believe you were the one who dropped the plate. Get out of this building, you are suspended with pay until further notice!" Tseng wanted to argue, but he knew that he would only end up dead, so the Wutain walked out of the office and back to his own, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do now.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally arriving at Shinra HQ, Reno stormed right into the building though the front doors, Jenna in tow. She looked around, amazed at how big the place was inside. However, she couldn't ponder for long, as she watched Reno dig out a collection of keycards from his pocket and step into the elevator. She followed, and looked at the items, curiosity all over her features.

"These...I did keep. Never know when they might come in useful." the redhead said with a smirk and inserted the one for the president's floor into the slot.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rufus hoped he had made the right decision, but on the downside he was now left with only two Turks. Resting his aching head on the desk, the president tried to get some peace and quiet for a while, but that was soon thrown out the window when the door was slammed open.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU ORDER THE PLATE TO BE DROPPED?!" Rufus lifted his head in shock, and saw a very angry, sooty, dusty, and overall rough looking redhead standing in front of his desk.

"Reno, now...hear me out..."

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED IN THAT?!"

"Shall I call security?" Rufus looked around Reno and saw his secretary, looking very afraid.

"There's no point, he can beat them to a pulp. It's fine, Mitsuki, he used to be a Turk, I know him."

"OK, sir." she said, and got back to her work. Rufus looked back at the angry ex-Turk in front of him, and then at the girl who was hiding behind him.

"Please, hear me out. I am sure this young lady does not want to witness a blood bath." he said, and watched as Reno started to calm down a little.

_Should I listen, or is he bullshitting me?_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: There we go guys, another chapter. I am still amazed that 3 of my fics are in a c2 community, it's an honour and has let me know that there are people out there that like my stuff. Please review so I know if you liked it and thanks for reading!


	7. IMPORTANT

Dear Readers,

My apologies, but this fic is on hiatus for now. I am struggling to connect with it, and I have a nasty mental block (which is where I get the plot for my fics, I see it in pictures.) Nothing is happening right now, the chapter is only half done. I want to make sure you guys get a long and good chapter, hence why this fic is on hiatus for now. I assure you, the next chapter will be posted as soon as it's written.

Also, I have started the sequel to Stupid Mistakes, and I might have a oneshot out, though I am not 100 sure as I am also going to start a Naruto fic.

Thanks for all your support,

Adiji-Sensei


	8. What's Your Problem is Back!

Disclaimer: After all this time, FFVII ain't mine. I only own Jenna.

A/N: Well, I'm back. There has been a lot going on, so I apologise for the long hiatus. You guys, my reviewers and readers, you guys are awesome. There is not even a word in the dictionary to describe how awesome you guys are. Even through the hiatus, you stuck with me, and for that I thank you. This new chapter will be as good I can make it, for you guys.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7: Secrets Revealed.

The situation in the office of the President had calmed over a period of half an hour, but a lot of the tension was still there. The haunting memories of Sector 7 were flooding Reno's head and driving him insane. He wanted the memories to leave, and now that he had seen Sector 6 crushed, it made him feel even more guilty. Even though he himself had not dropped the plate, the redhead felt that he might as well have blown it up himself, as it was his fault that everyone in Sector 6 had been crushed.

Jenna was remaining silent, just observing everything in Rufus' office. It was all so big and new to her, she had never seen anything like it before. In a way, it scared her, as she didn't know that things like this existed in the world. She knew all about Shinra, she had to, her parents had told her a lot of things about them, and what they were doing to the Planet. It made her upset, and though Reno used to be a Turk, she felt she could trust him, that he did not want to hurt her. A small tear trickled down her cheek when she thought of her parents, but it was also out of gratitude to Reno for taking her under his wing and helping her to survive. This tear did not go unnoticed by Rufus. Unknown to the people outside of the Shinra walls, he did have a heart somewhere, and it was softened by children.

He pressed the button on his intercom and waited for Mitsuki to answer.

_Can I help you, sir?_

"Yes, please send some biscuits up here, the poor girl is hungry." he said and cut the intercom off. Rufus looked over at Reno, who was surprised at the kind gesture Rufus had just shown, but the shock was soon replaced by anger.

"So, are you going to get that look off of your face and listen to me? I can assure you that I did not order that plate to be dropped." the president said, as cool as he could be. Reno did not scare him, but he could understand why the former Turk was angry.

"Then who did? As far as I was aware, the only way the plates can be dropped is if you give the order." the redhead snarled, and watched closely as Rufus let out a frustrated sigh.

"Do not think for one minute that this is your fault, I knew the guilt you felt when you were ordered to drop the Sector 7 plate by my father. I can assure you that some changes have been made around here, and one of those major changes is that Tseng is no longer a Turk. Rude is the new leader of the Turks." Rufus explained calmly, and was not at all surprised to see Reno's eyes go as wide as saucers.

"Why did you fire Tseng?" Reno asked, and Rufus rolled his eyes. How clueless could you get? He was just about to answer when there was a knock on the office door. Mitsuki came in with the biscuits and set them on the desk. Rufus looked over to Jenna, who was feeling the material of the curtains. She had never felt velvet before, it was all so new to her.

"What is your name?"

"Jenna, sir." she said, and immediately stopped touching the curtains, for fear of being told off.

"Come and have some biscuits, Jenna. You need some food, and Reno and I may be talking for a while. We have much to discuss. Would you like a drink?" he asked, and watched as Jenna walked over to the desk. Rufus' father had never shown kindness to children, but Rufus had a soft spot for them, and he was determined to be different from his father. Same goals, but he would be kinder to the younger generation.

"Thank you, sir. I would like a drink please." she said and sat down, taking one of the biscuits and eating it slowly. They tasted nice to her, the ones on the slums were horrible. She had never tasted anything so good, but she was not going to take advantage of the president's generosity.

Rufus stood up and walked over to one of his cupboards. He had some soft drinks in there as well, you can't exactly be the ruler of Midgar when you are drunk as a skunk. He poured the young girl some lemonade, and gave it to her.

"Thank you, sir. You are so nice, yet people are afraid." she said and began to drink it. Reno sighed, if only she knew what the president was really like. He was ok to the people within his company, but to the people of Midgar, he could be heartless and cruel.

"Rufus, I believe we are getting off topic. Who dropped the plate?" Reno said, but now he was feeling considerably calm. He watched as the president nodded in agreement.

"Tseng is no longer a Turk, and he will probably never be one again. He was the one who dropped the plate, when he went after you. I had spoken with him, as I needed to go to Junon. Why did he take it upon himself to fire you?" the blonde asked. He was surprised that Reno had such a triumphant grin on his face.

"I TOLD HIM YOU WOULD WANT TO GO TO JUNON! I TOLD HIM, I TOLD HIM, I TOLD HIM!! Man, where is he when you want to rub something in his face?" Reno shouted happily. The president raised a blonde eyebrow.

"Care to explain?"

"Sorry, well Tseng decided to fire me because I was repairing the chopper. He thought I was wasting my time, when in fact I had nothing to do. I said to him that what would happen if you wanted to go to Junon and you were killed because of a faulty chopper, then he called me a slum rat, and I quit." the redhead explained, while Jenna took a sip of lemonade. She liked it, as Reno had stolen a few bottles of the fizzy drink before. It was a nice treat to have something to eat and drink without having to steal it. Rufus, however, was rather confused.

"So you quit...just because Tseng called you a slum rat. Am I missing something here?" the president asked, completely clueless.

"Well, if I am a slum rat, then I shouldn't be up here. The thing is, I AM a slum r--" Reno was cut off my Rufus slamming his hand on the desk.

"You are NOT a slum rat, you hear me? You are a damn fine Turk, and you are going to work here again, whether you fu--damn well like it or not!" Rufus shouted, quickly correcting his language when he remembered that Jenna was in the room.

"I don't think so."

"If it'll ensure you can rub the fact I wanted to go to Junon in Tseng's face, then will you help me track him down? Jenna can be accomodated here, but come on Reno, he killed innocent people just to get to you. Help me, Elena, and Rude get him before he causes more damage."

After a tense moment of silence...Reno had a smirk on his face.

"I need a new suit."

"Why?"

"I burnt the other one."

"DAMN YOU, RENO! THEY ARE EXPENSIVE!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, it's back! Please read and review to let me know if you liked it.


	9. After many months it returns!

Disclaimer: You'd think after such a long time…I would have bought FFVII…sorry to disappoint…I haven't XD Though if I had, I'd have it remade for the PS3. However, I do own Jenna.

A/N: It only took months but...IT'S BACK! For starters, I cannot apologise enough for such a long hiatus, my FFVII juices just haven't been flowing. However, after starting to play it, THE JUICES MOVE ONCE MORE! I hope to update more regularly now, as I don't have as much of a writer's block anymore, which is awesome. Anyway, my request hasn't changed, please read and review!

----------

Chapter 8:

It felt strange to be back in the suit again, and Reno wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He knew he would have to get used to being a Turk again, no matter how much it irked him. The redhead had gotten used to life in the slums again, and he didn't like having to go back to living as a Turk. Tseng's words still rung clear, that he was a slum rat, and didn't deserve to live on the plate. What nobody really realised, well, nobody except Rude, that Reno actually had a lot of inner turmoil. He was a joker because it was the only way that he could hide how he felt. Many times Reno had wondered whether he should have just stayed in he slums.

_No, don't think like that. Tseng's full of shit, he knows nothing. He do__e__sn't know me, he never took the time to truly get to know me…why the hell should I listen to what he says?_

Reno was snapped out of his thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door creaked open and in walked Jenna, who walked over to Reno's side. She looked at Reno's reflection in the mirror as well as her own, and sighed.

"Why do you have to be a Turk again, Reno?" she asked, and the redhead sighed, before kneeling down to the young girl's level.

"I have to help to bring down the bad man who dropped the plate." The redhead told her, shuddering as he remembered back when he had committed the same sinful act. Ever since it had happened, Reno had regretted dropping the plate on Sector 7, even more so now that he had felt what it must have been like for the people in the slums that day.

_At least their deaths would have been quick._

Before Jenna could say anything more, Reno stood up and walked towards the door.

"You be good and stay here, I won't be long. Who knows, I might be able to steal some of the President's biscuits for you." Reno said with a cheeky grin, before walking out of the room. Jenna laughed and sat down in front of the mirror, trying to think of things to do to occupy herself while Reno was gone.

---------------------

Elena was walking down the corridor with a huge grin on her face. As she made her way to the office of Rufus Shinra, the blonde remembered the conversation she had with Rude earlier that day.

_FLASHBACK_

"_I wonder what this meeting is going to be about." Rude pondered out loud as he sat with Elena in the canteen. The blonde sighed and looked up at her bald friend, and though she didn't fully understand all the details, she had a feeling it would have something to do with Tseng._

_**It's strange, I once idolised the man, loved the man, and now I find myself trying to hunt him down. Who knew that things could go wrong in such a way? I didn't think for one minute he would drop a plate, but then again, there are two sides to every coin. I refuse to believe that Tseng did what he did just because he doesn't like Reno, I mean, I know Reno can be irritating, but he is one of the best friends you could have. He has always been loyal to me, Rude, and Shinra, so I can't understand why Tseng would hate him so.**_

"_I don't know Rude, probably has something to do with Tseng." She said, and took another sip of her coffee. Elena was clock-watching, she knew they only had an hour to go before they made their way to Rufus' office._

"_More than likely, I wonder how the meeting went between Rufus and Reno. I haven't seen either of them since then, so I hope everything went ok. Not that Rufus would do anything to Reno…unless said Reno decided to unleash moths in the president's desk drawers again." The bald Turk said with a small laugh. He remembered the angry phone call he got when Rufus was trying to hunt down Reno. Elena laughed along with her friend, that had been one of the most interesting work days of her life._

_The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they tried to kill the remaining hour._

_END FLASHBACK_

_----------------------_

Rude was already waiting outside the president's office. He knew that there was still fifteen minutes before the meeting was to begin, but he had nothing better to do so decided to go early. Just as he was about to doze off for a few minutes, he heard the elevator doors open at the end of the corridor, and got the shock of his life.

Leaping out of his seat, Rude ran to the end of the corridor, and stopped short of pinching himself to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Reno, you're back!" Rude exclaimed and grabbed the redhead around the waist before he could protest.

"Put me down, yo! It's not like you haven't seen me since I left." Reno said, but calmed down and put his arms around Rude's neck, which made the bald man smile.

"I'm glad you're back, I've missed you, Reno." Rude said, pleased that nobody was around to witness what the pair of them were doing.

"I've missed you too, the slums just aren't as fun as this place." Reno said with a small smile, and kissed Rude softly, before being dropped when the pair heard the elevator door chime. Elena walked out, and the smile on her face got even bigger. She had not been so happy in a long time, and she ran over to Reno and hugged him, nearly taking the redhead off his feet.

"I'm so glad you've come back. You won't leave again, will you?" the blonde asked, but the smile fell from her face when a tense silence made itself known. Rude looked down at Reno, who's face had fallen.

"Reno…you'll stay…right?"

"I'm here to help take Tseng down…then whatever happens, happens." Reno said and walked towards the president's door. Rude and Elena exchanged a worried glance before following, and a minute later, all three of them were sitting opposite Rufus.

-----------------------

_How did I get myself into this situation? Why did I have to go and do something so stupid? What's wrong with me? I haven't felt like myself for a long time, why did I have to go at Reno like that. Why couldn't I just apologise and say that he was right? He was, the chopper did need repairing, why did I have to be so stubborn? I've now managed to practically finish my career, and I'll be lucky if I make it through this alive. Now they're going to be after me, because I have run. Rufus knew I was going to run, and as soon as that grunt reported that I was missing, he decided I needed to be brought in. He knows I've done it, now the only choice I have is to run._

Tseng was hidden inside a hooded robe in Tifa's bar. He did not want to go there, but felt that it would be one of the few places where SOLDIER wouldn't look for him, hell, if he was lucky they would have sent SOLDIER, but part of him knew that Rude and Elena would be on his trail. Tseng thought back to the moment in his flat when he decided to hit the road…wondering if he had done the right thing.

_FLASHBACK_

_Sitting down and watching the news, Tseng listened to the president assure the public that he had not ordered the plate to be dropped. The former Turk boss knew that he was in trouble, and that even though he had been suspended…and though it was with pay, he would not be returning to Shinra._

_**I have to get out of here, Rufus isn't stupid, hell, he won't even need an investigation to make sure that I go down for dropping the plate. I can't stay here, I have to move on. If I'm found, then I'm a dead man, and that's a fact. If I had accepted I was wrong, then I wouldn't be in the situation I am now. Maybe I can find a nice small village to live in…but all I know is, I have to get out of Midgar. I don't even think I can go back to Wutai, that will be one of the places they check if they find out I am not in Midgar anymore.**_

_Slowly, Tseng rose from his sofa and turned the television off, and packed his bags in record speed. Walking over to his front door and turning the lights off, the Wutain looked back at his apartment one last time before heading out of the building. He would go to Tifa's bar, they wouldn't think to look for him there._

_END FLASHBACK_

He was pleased that Tifa did not recognise him, even with the hood, but she could have easily told by his voice. That was the exact reason why Tseng was putting on an accent. After downing his drink, he left some money on the bar and walked out.

_Where the hell can I go?_

_---------------------_

Rufus sighed as he looked at the three Turks in front of him, they were together again, yet they weren't at the same time. Rude looked uncomfortable, Elena looked concerned, and Reno looked like he didn't want to be there. The president was not concerned about how long the meeting would go on for, as he had sent Mitsuki to keep Jenna occupied so the young girl didn't get bored.

"Well, let's get this meeting underway shall we. First of all, we need to think of places to look to find Tseng before we think of doing anything else. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

Things remained quiet for a while before Elena got ready to speak.

"Do you think there is a chance he may have returned to Wutai?" the blonde suggested and Rufus began to think.

_Sounds like an obvious place to return to, but then again, it doesn't hurt to look. I'll send Elena, she likes it there, and it will give Reno and Rude a chance to catch up. Sounds like a plan to me._

"Seems like an obvious place to go, but who knows, that may be what he wants us to think. Elena, you can go to Wutai, but I want regular reports when you get there. Reno, Rude, take some time to catch up. Rude, Elena, you're dismissed, I wish to speak with Reno a while.

A knot began to form in the redhead's stomach when the president spoke those words, and all he could do was watch as the other Turks left the room.

--------------------------

Tifa was rushed off her feet at the bar, which for once was annoying her as she wanted to speak to Cloud about something.

_I should probably just talk to Barret, Cloud isn't here at the moment anyway so there is no point._

Just as she was going to resign herself to the fact that Cloud wouldn't be back for a while, the blonde in question walked through the door and made his way behind the bar.

"What's wrong, Tifa? You look like you have something on your mind." He said, and the woman sighed.

"There was a strange, cloaked man in here earlier. Something was familiar about him, yet he seemed different. I can't quite put my finger on it." Tifa said, a frown appearing on her features. Cloud's face also took on a similar expression, individuals in hooded cloaks often spelt trouble, and he didn't like the sound of the person Tifa was describing.

"They might not come back, they were probably just a traveller. I wouldn't worry too much." He said, and made his way upstairs to put his swords away. Tifa watched him go, and let out a sigh before continuing to serve customers.

_I hope you're right, Cloud._

_-------------------------_

Things were silent in the president's office, you could hear a pin drop. Rufus let out a sigh, he was pleased to have Reno back…but to him, the man in front of him wasn't Reno. He looked like Reno, yet the personality did not match the body. The door to the office was closed, Rufus didn't want to appear to others to care too much about his employees.

_Don't want them to think I'm going soft._

"Reno, what's wrong? You haven't been right since you got back." Rufus said, and sat back in his chair. He didn't know how long it'd take for him to get a reply, so he wanted to be comfortable.

"Nothing, sir. I'm just finding myself having to adjust again, that's all. Can I go?" the redhead asked, looking Rufus in the eye. The president just sighed, and nodded.

"As you wish…but talk to Rude, he's worried about you. You don't look well, so take today to get some rest as well." Rufus said, and watched Reno stand up. The president was right, Reno didn't look well. He was pale, his eyes held none of the usual spark, and he looked skinnier than normal.

"Yes, sir." Was all that Rufus got for an answer.

"Oh, Reno, before you go, take these to your young friend. Not a word to anyone about this though!" Rufus said and produced a packet of cookies from his drawer.

"Thank you, sir." Reno said, and left the room, leaving Rufus to wonder if the Reno he knew would ever return.

-----------------------

A/N: So sorry again for the slow update, and I hope this makes up for it. I will be starting the next chapter soon, as I already have some ideas, so hopefully things should speed up again soon. As per usual, please read and review!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't own Final Fantasy but I do own Jenna.

A/N: Another chapter for you guys, blimey, it's the return of the quick updates. Not a lot to say this time around, except please read and reviews, as reviews do mean a lot to me! I like to know what my readers think.

--------------

Chapter 9:

The car ride to Rude's apartment was silent, if it wasn't for the hum of the engine then you would be able to hear a pin drop. Jenna didn't like the atmosphere at all, and she was not sure she liked Rude very much either. He seemed very scary to her, and she wondered why Reno liked him. However, she was not going to ask now, hell, she was too scared to speak. She didn't want the bald man to get angry, as she wasn't sure what he was like. He didn't seem to say much, in fact, Reno hadn't even said much since they got out of Shinra. The only words that had been spoken by the redhead were to tell the young girl not to eat the cookies in the car, as they would make a mess. She had been fine with that, as she was going to save them until they got back to wherever they were going.

Reno didn't want to speak for fear of what he might say. Deep down, he wasn't even sure what he wanted to say. However, he knew that it would be best to speak away from Jenna, as Reno wasn't sure whether the chat Rufus wanted him to have with Rude would end in an argument or not. A fight between two Turks was not something Reno wanted Jenna to witness.

Rude let out a long sigh before looking in his rear view mirror to make sure Jenna was ok. He didn't know if she got travel sick or anything like that, and the last thing he wanted to be doing was scrubbing vomit off of the back seats.

_On the plus side, at least they're leather, nice and easy to clean._

After what seemed like forever, they finally arrived at Rude's apartment. They all stepped out silently and Rude unlocked the door, before walking in and taking his jacket off. Reno took Jenna's hand and led her to the kitchen, he didn't feel right confining her there, but he felt he should talk to Rude as soon as possible. At least then the young girl may not feel so awkward.

"You stay in here, with your cookies, I need to talk to Rude." He told her with a warm smile, and ruffled her hair.

"OK Reno, he scares me…" she said timidly, and Reno laughed.

"He's a gentle giant, you'll see soon enough." Reno said to her and walked out of the kitchen.

--------------

Rude was sitting down when Reno came back into the room. The bald man wasted no time in getting down to business.

"You're not going to stay, are you?" the bald man asked, and watched as Reno began to pace. Rude watched as his partner stopped, removed his jacket, and began pacing again. Rude sighed as he noticed just how badly the shirt hung off of Reno, and the sight made him feel sick.

_I have to get some meat on his bones, even if it's the last thing I do._

"I already said, whatever happens, happens." The redhead answered, and nearly yelped in surprise as Rude grabbed his shoulders and threw him to the sofa.

"What the hell was that for, Rude?!" Reno shouted in anger, and this time it was Rude's turn to pace.

"What has happened to you, Reno? What happened to the fun loving redhead that I fell in love with, huh? You used to be so full of life, so confident, so happy, nothing could get you down, and Tseng says one thing to you and you turn into this…imposter!" Rude shouted back, and Reno immediately jumped to his feet.

"You don't know how much the truth hurts, Rude! Tseng is right, why can't you understand that? Another sector has been crushed because of me, I may as well have detonated it myself! Even when I'm back where I belong, people are still in danger! It seems that I can't go anywhere without putting people in danger, have you any idea how that feels? I stop being a Turk, and I think everything will be fine, but no, for some fucked up reason Tseng is STILL after me! I don't know why, and I bet you don't know why! So what can I do? The only option I see is staying down in the slums, and rotting away, though knowing me, even in death I'll probably put people in danger, what with all the diseases there are down there." Reno said, and wrapped his arms around himself, avoiding eye contact with the bald man.

_Reno, I had no idea you felt that way. Why did you not say any of this to me before? Elena and I, we're your friends, hell, me and you are more than that. Why did you not come to us? No, I know why, Tseng. Let us deal with him, as long as we're around, as long as I'm around, no harm will come to you. I won't allow him to hurt you anymore, please, let me help you._

Rude walked over and wrapped his arms around the smaller man, and was relieved to feel Reno relax.

"You don't belong down there, you fit in up here, and you know you do. Once we catch Tseng, stay up here, with me. Don't go back down there." Rude said softly, and Reno let out a small sigh.

"What about Jenna? I can't send her back down there on her own, I have to go back down there with her."

_Damn, I forgot about her. I'm crap with kids, I haven't got the patience for them. I suppose sacrifices will have to be made, anything to get you to stay._

Rude let go of Reno and walked over to the sofa and sat down. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and turned to face the redhead.

"Reno, she seems like a nice kid. I have no problem with her staying here. I can see you both share a close bond. I don't know the full details of what happened to her down there, but I can see she has grown on you, and you mean a lot to her. Stay, at least until Tseng is caught, and put on trial." Rude said, silently hoping that Reno would say yes.

_Come on, I've offered a home for Jenna as well. What more can you possibly want?_

A long silence passed between the pair, and it was only interrupted when Jenna peered out from behind the kitchen door.

"Excuse me, Mr Rude?" she asked timidly, and Reno had to resist the urge to laugh. Nobody had ever called his partner Mr Rude before.

"What is it?" The bald man asked, doing his best not to sound impatient or irritated.

"Could I please get a drink?" Jenna asked softly.

"Yes, of course you can. If you need help, just ask." Rude said, and watched as the girl went back into the kitchen.

Reno sat down next to his bald partner and smiled, running his hand over the bald head.

"You'll be fine with her." He said with a warm smile.

"Though will you have room for both of us?" The redhead asked, and was surprised when Rude pulled him into his lap and began nibbling his neck.

"You'll be sleeping with me, like old times." He said, and the impish grin that Rude knew so well returned to Reno's face.

"I like that plan…but enough, in case Jenna comes in again." Reno warned, and was practically thrown off of Rude as the door opened again.

"Mr Rude…could you help me get a glass please?"

-------------

Elena had finally arrived in Wutai, and not a moment too soon in her opinion. She was tired from the travelling, and wanted to do nothing except go to sleep. She decided it would be best to search when she was wide awake, and that way, she would be able to think more clearly as to how she would go about her search.

The blonde sighed when she finally got into the inn room she'd booked, and wondered how Reno and Rude were getting on. She hoped they would be able to rebuild the relationship that shattered when Reno left for the slums.

_Please stay, Reno. We all need you, we don't want you to go. Believe it or not, everyone has missed you while you have been gone!_

With a yawn, she removed her suit and put on her pyjamas before climbing into bed, planning to sleep for the night and start her search in the morning.

-----------------

A/N: Sorry this chapter is shorter than the other one, but the next one will have a lot more happening, as the search for Tseng really heats up. Relationships also begin to develop more as well. As per usual, thanks for reading and please review!


End file.
